This invention relates to convertible seat-bed and will have special but no limited application to a motorized seat-bed as used in a van or other recreational vehicle.
It is common in the recreational vehicle industry to include a bench seat which is convertible into a bed and which is commonly referred to as a convertible seat-bed. A convertible seat-bed of the general type and construction which will be described herein is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,902, incorporated herein by reference.
In general, the '902 patent discloses a seat-bed having a mounting plate connected to the upright back part and a mounting plate connected to the horizontal seat part. The two mounting plates are secured to one another by a pivot pin. Pivotable links are connected between each mounting plate and the frame. The pivotable links are interlinked by a pivot arm. The pivotable links and interconnected pivot arm translate movement of the seat part to the back part when shifting between the seat or bed positions, thus requiring minimum effort on behalf of the user.
It is further common in the recreational vehicle industry to connect a motorized drive unit to a convertible seat-bed to automatically shift the seat-bed between its bed and seat positions. Such a drive unit is shown in U.S Pat. No. 4,463,784. Previous attempts to motorize the '902 seat-bed have proven unsatisfactory due largely in part to the pivot interconnection previously described.